Aesthetics or warmth? The screen for the radiator will help to successfully solve both problems.

This often happens: they invested effort and money in a luxurious interior, and the appearance of the necessary communications spoils everything. Well, what about without them? Each room should have a radiator, and more than one. How to make it fit into the room design? One of the possible solutions is to use a screen on the heating battery. Today we will discuss what it is - a screen, what it can be made of, how to install and use it.

The decorative panel will hide communication from the eyes and decorate the interior

What tasks does the screen for a heating radiator perform?

First of all, the lattice problem on radiator - protect your household from accidental injury from sharp edges of the battery or burns on its surface. This is especially true in families with babies. With all your desire, you will not be able to control every step of the little fidget, and so you will at least be sure of his safety.

The second, important aspect is the decoration. Radiators fit organically only into a loft. In this case, it is appropriate to leave them in plain sight. But in all other types of design, batteries only get in the way. That is why interior designers prefer to use different kinds of decorative panelsto hide modern communications.

Screen is matched to the room design

Battery grids can increase the efficiency of the device. Metal screens act as an additional heating area. If you equip the box with a reflective screen and ventilation system, you can achieve impressive results. Finally, the screen on the radiator prevents dust and dirt from getting on the device and helps to quickly and efficiently do wet cleaning.

Materials for the manufacture of grilles for radiators

Take your time to make a choice: the efficiency of the heating system largely depends on the material of the grate. Modern manufacturers offer a large selection of decorative panels made of natural wood, metal, MDF, glass and even leather. Consider what these screens are.

Metal panels

If we talk about the size of the offer, then you can find metal grates in almost every heating appliance store. They are made of sheet steel and covered with powder enamel. Most often white. White is, of course, a universal color, but we must admit that it does not suit every interior.

The good thing about the metal panel is that it heats up quickly and gives off heat to the room. This is the main and, perhaps, the only advantage of such screens.Forged masterpieces are worth mentioning separately.

There are such luxurious openwork panels that they can be safely called works of art

A perforated sheet is usually placed under such forging so that the batteries do not shine through.

Openwork carved wood

Wood is a flexible and environmentally friendly material for making home furniture. Craftsmen wood carvers offer panels with patterns and mesh, exquisite frames and three-dimensional shapes. The undoubted advantage of wood is the absence of toxic emissions.

If the room has wooden furniture, the panels will fit well into the interior.

When choosing such panels, you need to pay attention to protective treatment and rock resistance to temperature changes. Hardwoods behave best in this regard: beech, oak, hornbeam. Screens made of ordinary pine are also suitable, they are attractive for their low cost.

For exotic designs, find rattan or bamboo trellises

Plastic grates

Plastic is chosen for rooms with high humidity. It will fit well into bathroom decoration and toilet, kitchen. For the manufacture of screens, a material that is resistant to high temperatures is used. Such plastic is not afraid of heating up to + 80 ° C. The slanted grille bars direct air downward, increasing the efficiency of the radiators. You can also find panels with decorative perforation.

The advantage of such screens is ease of cleaning. Panels can be simply wiped with a damp cloth

What is important when choosing plastic grilles? Pay attention to the country of origin and carefully study the technical characteristics of products from China. They are usually made of poor quality plastics. It may not withstand heat, deform and even melt. Experts do not recommend installing such products in children's rooms, as they can release toxic compounds when heated.

Glass screens

Glass decorative screens for heating radiators appeared relatively recently, but the demand for them is steadily growing. From a practical point of view, such panels are not the best choice. They block air access to the radiator, and this disrupts the operation of the heating system.

But in terms of aesthetics, the thick tempered glass with a matte finish and pattern is very attractive. The laminated surface does not scratch, does not break, the corners of the panel are rounded and sanded. You can wash such a screen with any composition for cleaning windows.

If this idea matches your interior design, you can order glass panels with photo printing, stained glass windows, engraving, etching or hand painting.

An expert's point of view

Andrey Starpovsky

Head of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Group, GRAST LLC

“Glass screens are not cheap and must be handled with great care.It is clear that such structures should not be installed in a child's room - a successful goal will cost you dearly. "

MDF and HDF panels

Laminated MDF is manufactured using modern technology without the use of synthetic glue and resin. HDF panels are also glued by high pressure pressing. HDF material has a small thickness - only a few millimeters. HDF gratings are not afraid of high temperatures and do not deform.

Such decorative elements are allowed to be used in children's and medical institutions.

Now on sale there is a new finishing material - Riflix. These are woven wood veneer panels. In general, it can be noted that MDF, HDF and Riflix are modern, durable and environmentally friendly panels that have excellent performance characteristics and an affordable cost.

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Fabric decoration

You can hide the radiators with fabric curtains. This design will organically fit into the interior in the style of Provence, Shebi-chic, country. In this case, the fabric is selected to match the main curtains, and ruffles, pleats or flounces are used in the design.

Another original idea is to use a fabric stretched over the frame with a print that repeats the pattern on the wallpaper.

You can also use contrasting tones to match the style of the room. If you use curtains as a screen, they can be washed periodically.

Leather screen

This type of decorative design of radiators is a special chic. Leather products are easy to clean, they are resistant to mechanical stress and look very stylish.

The basis of such a lattice is MDF. Artificial or natural leather is pulled over it.

Thanks to this basis, the material does not deform under the influence of high temperatures.

Types of radiator grilles for batteries and mounting methods

Radiator panels can have different designs. Which one to choose depends on the location of the heater and the designer's idea. There are three main types of screens:

Decorative screens for flat and hinged batteries

Hinged panels do not require any special installation skills. They just slide over the radiator. The design of the hinged grilles allows air to circulate freely around the heater. The perforated metal panels are themselves heated by the battery and radiate heat into the room. For safe use, these screens have rounded corners. To hide the piping, the main screen has side panels on two or one side. Flat screens are used for mounting in niches or openings. They are secured with bolts, screws or glue. The lattices can be completely flat or convex.

The model is selected depending on the position of the radiator in the niche

Plasterboard box for radiator

Plasterboard boxes are a popular option for decorating heating appliances. The gypsum mixture is resistant to heat, the material itself is relatively inexpensive. A home craftsman can install a plasterboard box, it's not difficult. You can decorate such a decorative panel in any way suitable for your interior.

But take into account some of the features of drywall boxes:

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Video: How to Install Plasterboard Screen in Video

Methods for attaching decorative radiator grilles

Conveniently, the screen on the heater can be removed if necessary. This makes it easier to clean the panel and the radiator underneath. Traditionally, the screen consists of a frame and a flat panel. The frame is fixed to the wall, and the grille is installed on the frame using latches or "antennae".

How to assemble the grill with side panels:

Picture	Description
	The grill is usually supplied with two side panels, a flat screen and a top tabletop.
	Attach the screen to the radiator and determine how far from the wall the main part will stand.
	Attach the side panel to the supply pipes. It is necessary to make marks for the connection of the supply pipes.
	In order for the screen to fit snugly against the wall, you will have to cut out a place for the baseboard.
	The side panel should fit snugly against the wall, without gaps or crevices.
	After preparing the cutouts, the side panels are fixed to the main screen on metal corners and small screws.
	Lastly, the top tabletop is attached to the same corners.
	All that remains is to put the screen against the wall. It does not require fixing to the wall and can be removed for cleaning if necessary.

How to choose the right screen for a heating battery

When choosing a decorative panel, pay attention to the following points:

How to improve the heat transfer of the battery screen with your own hands

The main problem in installing decorative panels is that natural convection is disturbed. Any grille, even with a large perforation, prevents air from entering the radiator unhindered.

If the panel also has a countertop, hot air accumulates under it, and the heater, as a result, heats the outer wall of the building more than the inner space of the room.

Heat loss when installing the screen can be up to 25%. What can be done in this situation? The first is to install reflective tape on the outside wall behind the battery. The second is to paint the inside of the screen black so that it absorbs heat from the battery, heats up and gives off heat energy to the room. And finally, you can improve convection with a simple device that is easy to do with your own hands:

Picture	Description
	To make a ventilation device, you will need a computer cooler and an old phone charger.
	Find or punch a hole in the conduit to install the wire.
	Route the wire to the outlet of the conduit. The cord must be long enough to reach the nearest outlet.
	Connect the wire to the cooler wires. Note that you need to connect the wires of the corresponding color. After connecting, insulate the strands with electrical tape.
	Mount the cooler on the grill so that it draws air from the inside and directs it out. You can fix the cooler with self-tapping screws or special glue.
	Install the grill, connect the device to the power supply and check its operation. If everything is correct, you will feel the flow of warm air into the room. The computer cooler is practically silent, you won't hear how it works.

This simple mechanism will increase the efficiency of the heater several times.

How much does it cost to buy a metal screen for a heating battery

Metal screens are a popular product. So that you have an idea of ​​the cost of such products, we have selected for you photos and prices for rating models of screens for heating batteries according to Yandex.Market:

Picture	Model	Dimensions, mm	Average cost (as of April 2018), rubles
	Metal screen with perforation "Flower"	290×610	1336
	Screen for the battery "Quartek Classic"	600×600	996
	Screen "Classic" small unpainted MDF	900×790	1329
	Plastic radiator grilles	600×1200	500

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Copyright gallery: decorative grilles for heating radiators

Completing the theme of decorating heating devices, one cannot but acquaint you with the unique works of designers that can serve as inspiration for you.

If you have any useful experience or comments on this topic, write in the comments! Your information can be invaluable to the readers of the magazine!

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